Moon’s Borrowed Light

Pihu and Toshiv meet a Moonbeam and learn the moon reflects sunlight, watching its phases each night.

Pihu loved to peek out her window. The moon looked like a friendly night lamp among twinkly stars. Each evening she waved and whispered, 'Hello, Moon!'

One breezy evening Pihu pointed. 'Toshiv, look up!' she laughed. The moon shone big and bright, like a glowing lantern in the dark sky.

Toshiv giggled at the shining circle. Pihu wondered, 'Why does the moon shine at night?' Her question floated high above the rooftops.

Whoosh! A tiny, sparkling Moonbeam swooped through their window. 'Hi, Pihu! Hi, Toshiv!' it chimed. 'Want to hear the moon's little secret?'

Both children nodded fast. Moonbeam glowed and whispered, 'The moon does not make its own light. It needs help, just like a night kite needs the wind.'

'Help from who?' Pihu asked. 'From the sun!' Moonbeam sang. 'Sunlight hits the moon, and the moon bounces that light back to Earth like a shiny mirror.'

'So the moon is a rocky mirror!' Pihu gasped. 'Exactly,' Moonbeam smiled, twirling. 'A big round mirror high above us.'

The next night Pihu saw only half a circle. She giggled, 'Oh dear, who nibbled the moon?' Toshiv looked puzzled and searched the sky for the missing bite.

Toshiv pointed, shouting his favorite word, 'Moon!' His little finger followed the shining shape as it slid through the clouds.

Moonbeam laughed. 'The moon isn't hiding. It is always round, but we see only the sunlit part from Earth. The shadowed side just waits its turn to glow.'

Pihu nodded. 'So the shapes we see are made by sunlight.' 'Yes,' said Moonbeam. 'These shapes are called moon phases.'

For many nights the children watched. The moon grew from a tiny silver banana to a cookie-shaped half circle.

At last it became a huge, round silver ball. 'Full moon!' cheered Pihu. Toshiv clapped and called it his 'moon ball.'

Moonbeam twirled. 'You have learned the moon's secret!' Pihu whispered thanks to the kind moon and the bright sun.

From that night on, whenever they saw the moon, they remembered: it shines with borrowed sunlight, a friendly mirror in the sky.